Discouraged? – count tiles on housetops

“I engage in the strangest pursuits. On tour through Germany last year, in the old-town section of Worms, I counted roof-tiles, wondering how many I could see.

Back in 1521, Martin Luther was on his way to Worms to be tried by the Emperor and the Catholic bishops. Luther had been called to answer for his so-called heresies, and he’d been promised safe conduct on the long journey across the German states. Despite the promise, Luther’s friends feared for his life.

As Luther approached the city, a messenger arrived with a warning from his friends: ‘You are in peril, do not enter Worms!’ Luther replied: ‘Tell my friends that even if there should be as many devils in Worms as tiles upon the housetops, still I will come.‘…”